Concrete Raising / Polyurethane Concrete Raising

Polyurethane Concrete Raising

At Acme Concrete Raising & Repair we only use polyurethane foam injection. This specialized process has been used to lift sunken concrete since the early 1980’s. Originally, the use of polyurethane foam injection was mostly limited to Department of Transportation projects involving roadways and bridge approaches. Unfortunately, US Patent protection stunted its growth into the residential marketplace until the early 2000’s. Since then, great success in commercial and residential applications have allowed polyurethane concrete lifting to become the superior method over mudjacking.

Although repair results between polyurethane injections and old “mudjacking” methods may appear similar, there are significant differences. These differences include repair procedures, concrete raising materials, equipment, and most importantly, long-term reliability of completed work.

Acme Concrete Raising & Repair utilizes this advanced technology which enables us to perform high-quality, quick, clean repairs that are more cost effective for the long term.

ACME Concrete Raising ProcedureAre you wondering how we raise sunken concrete? We’ve created a 75 second video that describes just how simple it is for us to raise and support your settled concrete. Click and watch now!

What to Expect When We Lift Concrete With Polyurethane

Our concrete lifting and leveling services are simple yet effective. Research shows our state-of-the-art equipment provides customers the highest quality results possible. Read on to learn more about our process, and enjoy some examples of how Acme’s modern system outperforms mudjacking.

This is how we make revitalizing your sunken concrete quick and efficient:

Acme Concrete Raising & Repair: Polyurethane Injection

Typical Mudjacking

Projects typically require a small box truck or pickup truck & small trailer. The necessary equipment and materials required are located in this single vehicle – no heavy construction trucks or equipment are needed. Our concrete lifting foams are centrally located and ready to use on demand. There is no manual mixing required, saving labor and time.

Most mudjackers use heavy duty construction vehicles. Dump trucks may also be used in mudjacking.

To begin, we create a few small holes in the concrete allowing us to inject the lifting material. Don’t worry, they are small, ⅝” holes, about the size of a dime. Once the holes are placed in strategic locations, special injection ports are installed. The injection ports create a secure, sealed connection between our equipment and the concrete. This unique feature prevents lifting material from leaking or spilling during the concrete raising process. The overall benefit of injection ports is a cleaner, more effective raise.

Mudjacking will typically require much larger holes – ranging anywhere from 1” to 2” in diameter. Most mudjackers do not use injection ports. Material spills and leaks can occur causing a messy work area and require cleaning.

We then connect advanced, computer-controlled equipment to the injection ports and inject a two-part polymer through them. The materials travel laterally beneath the concrete, reacting and expanding to permanently fill voids while simultaneously raising and leveling the sunken slab.

Depending on the contractor, mudjackers pump various wet mixtures below the concrete. (every mudjacker uses their own "recipe") Slabs are sometimes “over-raised” to account for future shrinkage.

Following the lifting process, injection ports are removed, leaving a clean repair and neatly maintained work area. Since the bulk of our equipment is remote and self-contained, equipment removal is as simple as rolling up a hose. Also, due to the nature of our clean repair technology, cleaning of equipment or the work itself is extremely minimal.

Since the mudjacking repair process can be a bit sloppy at times, mudjackers typically need to wash down the repaired surfaces before material dries. They may also need to wash mud mixers and pumps before material dries and clogs up their equipment.

The material we use to lift and level concrete is fully cured in about 15-minutes after injection. It doesn’t matter what type of structure we raise; a sidewalk, garage floor, driveway, parking lot, etc. When the job is complete, the concrete is free to use without restriction.

Some mudjacking slurries can require 24 to 48 hours to fully cure. Normal use of the concrete may need to be avoided for days following a repair.

Raising & Leveling Settled Concrete: Easy as 1 – 2 – 3 !

Step 1 – DRILL

Small ⅝ inch diameter holes are strategically drilled through the sunken concrete and temporary injection ports are installed.

Step 2 – FILL

Next, specially formulated polyurethane is injected through the injection ports to raise the concrete back to its original position.

Step 3 – PATCH

The injection ports are removed and the holes are patched. Since the polyurethane cures in about 15-minutes, the raised concrete is ready for immediate use.